20 Of The Best Music Festivals To Look Forward To In 2016

With so much choice, we look at the most-essential festivals to visit to make summer 2016 unforgettable.

1. Glastonbury Festival 2016

The undisputed ruler of the British festival calendar. Tickets for Glastonbury 2016 sold out in record timing (again) when they went on sale back in October, and whilst the line-up still remains a mystery, organiser Emily Eavis has teased this year to be 'strong on women', alongside hinting at appearances from Little Simz and Lady Leshurr. Glastonbury Festival returns to its Somerset home from 22-26 June

2. Electric Daisy Carnival 2016

This year EDC is back with a stellar line-up. Avicii, Axwell ^ Ingrosso, Eric Prydz and Martin Solveig are just some of the name you can expect to see at the Milton Keynes event on 9th July 2016. Tickets are on sale now.

3. Bestival 2016

Now in its 13th year, Bestival has earned its stripes as the nearest contender to Glastonbury's quirkiness, alongside attracting some of the biggest names in the music industry. It might seem tough to top last year's headliner Missy Elliott, but needless to say, curator Rob Da Bank will be working hard to put on another incredible show. There's no line-up info just yet, but rumours are pointing toward a UK festival debut from Miley Cyrus! Bestival returns to Isle of Wight on 8-11 September

4. V Festival 2016

2016 sees V Festival turn 21, and as with any 21st birthday, you know it's going to be one heck of a party. Returning to its two homes in Chelmsford and Staffordshire on the August Bank Holiday Weekend, we're still none-the-wiser when it comes to V's 2016 lineup, however with previous headliners including Calvin Harris and Justin Timberlake, we can only but expect great things for this year's soiree!

5. Field Day 2016

Field Day returns to London's Victoria Park, with its focus once again on showcasing a mix of established and emerging acts in the specialist scene. This year's line-up has already been teased, with the likes of Skepta, Little Simz, Tourist and Novelist already confirmed to appear. Field Day runs early in the festival calendar, hitting the landscape on 11-12 June weekend.

6. Notting Hill Carnival 2016

If you're in London over the August Bank Holiday weekend, then the mayhem that is the Notting Hill Carnival is one you'll struggle to ignore. The last few years has seen the Carnival attract some of the biggest names in grime, bass and dancehall, and just one visit will make you fall in love with London's diversity even more - we couldn't recommend it any higher. Expect line-up announcements closer to the time.

7. Lovebox 2016

The last couple of years has seen Lovebox reinvent itself as one of the go-to events in London, attracting huge names across the urban scene (most notably the likes of Jurassic 5, M.I.A. and Nas). Organisers usually start teasing the line-up as we venture into Spring, so expect a few announcements soon. Lovebox returns to Victoria Park on the weekend of 15/16 July.

8. Parklife 2016

Parklife returns to Manchester for 2016, once again showcasing the finest in dance, house, tech, dubstep and more. Last year saw the likes of Rudimental, Disclosure and Fatboy Slim hit the stage, and as it's a camping-free event, there's no need to fret about the state of the loos (well... not early in the day, at least)! Parklife runs over 11-12 June at Manchester's Heaton Park.

9. Wireless Festival 2016

Details are still sketchy regarding this year's Wireless Festival, though history tells us that an early-July weekend is one that you need to lock in your diaries. Whilst last year's show saw Wireless return as a London-only show (having previously been split between the Capital and Birmingham), the three-day stint has always impressed us with its focus on delivering strong urban talent. More info as and when we hear it!

10. We Are FSTVL 2016

We Are FSTVL are back for 2016, and whilst they've only announced the first two phases of their line-up so far, it's shaping up to be one heck of an unmissable weekend. Featuring the likes of MK, Hannah Wants, Fatboy Slim and Norman Jay, the two-dayer looks to kick-start the festival calendar, hitting Upminster on 28-29th May.

11. Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2016

If you fancy taking things further Stateside, then Coachella is the place to be. As per previous years, the Californian mega-festival will be split across two weekends in April, with the line-up featuring a who's-who of the world's biggest names. Whilst the return of Guns N' Roses is sure to whet appetites, we're pretty hyped about Ice Cube's hopeful reunion with Dr Dre (plus of course the likes of Major Lazer, DJ EZ & Joey Bada$$). Coachella runs across the weekends of 15-17 and 22-24 April.

12. Primavera Sound Barcelona 2016

If California seems a bit too far, but you still fancy hitting up a festival somewhere less-likely to be marred by rain (because, let's face it, we're in the UK), then hopping over to Barcelona's Primavera Sound could well be a safe bet. The line-up's already been confirmed, and it's pretty insane by all accounts - from the likes of Pusha T and Action Bronson sorting out the hip-hop heads, our very own Shura, Nao and SG Lewis are also set to hit the stage. Primavera runs from 1-5 June.

13. South West Four Festival 2016

With line-ups that continually centre on driving epic levels of euphoria for dance-heads, expect 2016's South West Four to continually build on their previous sell-out years. The line-up's still yet to be revealed (organisers have promised more news "very soon"), so if you're worried about having a post-ibiza comedown, then you'll probably want to head down to Clapham Common on 27-28th August.

14. Wild Life Festival 2016

Following the success of its first outing in 2015, Rudimental and Disclosure's Wild Life Festival returns, once again gracing Brighton's City Airport. Last year, both groups pulled out all the stops for one heck of a show, inviting the likes of Gorgon City, Jamie xx, Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes, Wu-Tang Clan and more along - from the rumours we've been hearing, 2016's Wild Life could be going one step better! Head over to Brighton on 11-12 June!

15. Love Saves The Day Festival 2016

Taking place 28th & 29th May 2016 in Eastville Park, Bristol Love Saves The Day is Bristol's answer to a mini Bestival. LSTD brings the genres House, Techno, Disco, Dubstep, Electro, Bass, Hip Hop, Alternative together. After performing last year, Stormzy and The Artful Dodger will be returning to the festival once more, plus Dizzee Rascal will be headlining the Sunday Night.

16. Kendal Calling 2016

Winning best small festival twice and now best medium festival independent music festival, Kendal Calling takes place in the Lake District 28th-31st July 2016. Although the line up for this year is yet to be announced acts such as Snoop Dogg, Fuse ODG and Mike Skinner have played the festival in the past. You'll probably want to spend summer weekend in the Cumbria this year.

17. Creamfields 2016

In 2015 Creamfields promised to deliver "the biggest electronic line-up you’ll see this year". Last year's line up included Sub Focus, Sigma and Shy FX and 2016 is bound to be bigger and better. Britain's largest dance festival takes place this August bank holiday in Daresbury, Cheshire.

18. Benicassim 2016

Benicassim is Spain's answer to Reading & Leeds. However, like Reading & Leeds it has started to book urban artists with Kendrick Lamar and Major Lazer headlining the festival this year. Taking place on the beach 14-17th July its a holiday and a festival wrapped in one.

19. Outlook 2016

Europe's leading bass music and sound system culture festival Outlook Fest takes place in an abandoned 19th Century Castle in Croatia. With the sun and sand it's the perfect location to see acts like Stormzy, Kano and Joey BADA$$ this September.